Three Kickstarter-esque projects that caught our eye this week

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Most bicycles are made from aluminum, steel, titanium and carbon—precious metals that require mining extraction, and high energy input to manufacture. Sure—riding bikes is green because you’re not burning fossil fuels, but most of us cyclists forget about the resources that go into making a bike.

On Tuesday, Cardboard Technologies launched an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign to build the lowest impact bike ever. Made of trash—recycled cardboard, plastic bottles and used car tires—the Cardboard Bike claims to be durable, fire- and water-resistant, and to able to support more than 400 lbs. News on the bike has been out for a while—Popular Science pinned it with a New Inventor Award, and NPR gave it a radio spot. The campaign is designed to help bring the prototype to full production

“Imagine a world where we can literally take garbage off the streets and turn it into something useful,” writes inventor Izhar Gafni about the Cardboard Bike. “[It’s] a bicycle that can not only be used for urban transport, but that can help kids in under-developed countries get to school, and help their parents get to work.” Available when the campaign reaches its $2 million goal, $250.